THE PHOTOGRAPHY OF RENNIE ELLIS | NO STANDING, ONLY DANCING

Australian photographer Rennie Ellis (1940-2003), manifested his lust for life in the incredibly raw and titillating images of ’70s & ‘8os that perfectly capture the heyday of Rock ‘n’ Roll rebellion, sexual experimentation, high fashion & tomfoolery. He eagerly exposed the gritty and honest underbelly of the times with an insider’s candor that is both magical and mesmerizing. A familiar fixture on the party scene, Rennie was widely accepted in social circles that placed him squarely in the middle of the action where he thrived on the energy– and always got the shots he wanted.

“The thing with Rennie was that he was always having fun and would never miss an opportunity to take a photo. I remember being at Rennie’s 38th birthday in Prahran when the police turned up for a noise compliant. We were all pretty smashed and our natural reaction was to stop and be quiet. Not Rennie though. We saw him take a girl outside and start taking pictures of her sitting on the police car. He just wanted to get that shot. And, from what I can recall, the police stuck around for a few drinks too. That’s how people reacted to Rennie—everyone just instinctively felt comfortable around him.”

As a 24 year old Aussie I’ve always thought Australia in the 70s and early 80s must have been like Berlin in the Twenties. This wild, debauched period full of uniquely archetypal Aussie characters. Thanks TSY for honoring this time with these great images.

Oh yeah, Oz in the 70’s….iconic images that reflect the times, they really were great. I wish I had a photo of Bon back in 69 playing with the Valentines in Geelong, matching ruffle shirts the whole bit! The cabbie is classic……and the guy hanging out of the Valiant, all great.

If you like rennie, you might also like Carol Jerrems, a wonderful Australian photographer recently given a retrospective at Heidi Gallery (Melbourne) alongside works by Larry Clark and Nan Goldin. Rennie was an early fan of her work and showed it at his gallery.
Thanks always enjoy your posts. Jim, Australia.

Rennie was a legend, Im 46 and a fairly serious amateur photographer and have been a fan since my early teens. Hi is truely the Australian “Cartier Bresson” capturing the “moment” perfctly. These photo’s take me back to my childhood and adolesence. Sheer brilliance.